[X] takes the offer of Mima and Shingyoku.

[X] takes Youmu's offer to meet Yuyuko.

Consume the woman and meet with the autarch, all according to plan.

[X] takes the offer of Mima and Shingyoku.
[X] takes Youmu's offer to meet Yuyuko.

[x] tells them that he will think about it.

[x] takes Youmu's offer to meet Yuyuko.

Maybe Yuyuko can help us with our soul problem?

Wasn't planning on voting, but just to avoid ties (annoying gremlins that they are)
[X] Hardcore parkour! It’d be the one thing they aren’t prepared for.
Objectively funny. And any good youkai should be able to take refuge in the absurd. Plus, we're a cat and someone with multiple extra limbs, versus some heavy tanuki.

{X} No disguises, they’d just slow them down. Just make sure there was a big distraction…
Risky, but feels more in line with the parkour mindset. Also, for as brash and audacious as Marisa is, she probably does not have the skills to make a nonmagical disguise good enough to fool a group of criminals.

>> “Kids?” The two girls whirled around. Two young men were approaching them, both bearing stern faces framed by curly green hair and stony horns. One of the two had stepped forward to address them directly. “We’re gonna need you to step away from the entrance, so other guests can get in an’ out of here.” His partner - twin? - grunted in agreement.

>> “O-oh, sorry.” Marisa stepped back, away from the moon plate as directed, only releasing Mike’s hand a second later. “U-um… if you don’t mind me asking… where is ‘here’?”

>> The one speaking to them raised an eyebrow. “You mean you don’t know? This is the non-human section of the market. Where you don’t need to hide everything under heavy jackets.” He gave a meaningful look to the girls. “‘Spite the flashy entrance, it’s really just a regular old hermit enclave fit for Lady Tenkyuu’s purposes.”

>> He gestured around. “You explored the regular version yet? Everything’s pretty much the same here in terms of where you’ll find food and goodies. ‘Cept that where the entrance is, you’ll find Lady’s Tenkyuu herself - something about watching both markets at once.”

>> Mike nodded, bowing. “Got it. Thank you, mister - er, I mean misters…”

>> “Mister?” The gatekeeper rolled his eyes. “Just call me Nio, alright? Now come on, off you trot; if it’s your first time here, I’m sure you’ve got a lot to see.”

>> Nio the komainu (it had finally hit Marisa when he’d been praising the Market Goddess and she’d seen his tail wagging) was doing his best to welcome the girls and get them comfortable. Thinking of one guy having two bodies was still a bit weird, but knowing one of those bodies was hanging right by the entrance to keep an eye out for trouble made it both more of a theoretical concept and something the islander could deeply appreciate.

Had fun with this one.

[X] Grand Strategy

HOI 4 or EU 4?

Votes closed, writing.

>>213845
Unfortunately, yes.

LMAO

wasn't as bad as I was worried it would go! got the job done without any actual harm to anyone and things are calmed down for the meeting, good job Reisen! Though Aya is probably going to pull something off to pay that back, but since what she thought happened and what everyone else saw, it shouldn't be too bad? probably similar to what she did to Miyoi in LE.

God damn. The people of Gensokyo ought to be thankful that Eirin and Tewi keep Reisen under control most of the time.

So satisfying to see the worm turn. If only it was against Tewi…

Happy new year, and thank you for the updates!

Alice pulled at the strings of her rucksack, feeling the weight against her back. A few changes of clothes(of course, identical to the clothing she was wearing at the present moment), a hair comb, a toothbrush and some toothpaste, some soap were what she had packed away. If needed, she could make all of them from scratch with the right materials. If(or rather, when) she moved away from Makai, she would probably have to do so. For all that Gensokyo seemed to have more different and distinct kinds of magic, the information she found on it indicated a more rural land with a lack of the amenities she could find in Makai.

Her mum, Shinki walked up next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s going to be a trying week, but that girl doesn’t seem the type to be overtly cruel. Have you packed everything?” Shinki asked.

“Of course.” Alice replied, mentally going back through everything in her pack anyways. Did she remember to take her hair comb? No, it was definitely in there, nestled right between her Grimoire and Shanghai.

“Alright then. I suppose you wouldn’t want to be carried like when you were little?” Shinki inquired, a teasing lilt entering her tone.

Alice’s facial expression and tone were both flat. “If I wanted to become a laughing stock, I would have become a jester instead of a puppeteer.” She replied.

Both the girl and the woman took to the air, the lift of their magic pushing them towards the skies of Makai. It was there that several portals lingered, all leading out of Makai and into Gensokyo. Alice couldn’t really remember which portals lead where, but her mother seemed to have more of an awareness of where every portal was connected to. By virtue of her inherent connection to Makai, Shinki had a good sense for magical phenomena happening within the realm.

They found the place they were looking for, emerging at the same place they had last time. That beaten-up, mottled path towards the Hakurei Shrine greeted them, and within a matter of minutes, the Shrine itself came into view.

Alice found herself feeling a little unimpressed. It was clear that the Shrine was a place with a great deal of history, probably having stood for

Shinki was more than a little surprised when the shrine maiden pulled out a youkai contract. That being said, she had been somewhat expecting a surprise, so she got over it quite quickly.

“I’ll admit to being a little curious. What are these, ‘spell card rules’?” Shinki asked. She had something of an idea from the name alone, but it would be best to get a fuller picture from haru than make any assumptions at this stage.

“Well, you may have started to put it together from the name, but they concern putting spells into cards. More specifically, they’re about creating a standardized set of rules concerning duels.”

A standardised set of rules? It was an interesting idea. There was one problem, however. “We might not have it down in writing, but we already have certain unwritten rules and norms when it comes to a duel.” Shinki pointed out. Most youkai knew how to control their strength. Some younger youkai were too proud to back down, and on occasion a goblin or kobold would fight a youkai well out of their weight class. But that was a rare occasion.

Haru nodded to her point, undaunted. “Yes, there are certain norms which most youkai follow. But I’m sure it’s not always that way. If the youkai of Makai are anything like the youkai of Gensokyo, they want to show off their power. And whenever they think they can get away with it, whenever they think there are no eyes on them… They will show it off. That’s when you have to step in, and reassert order. Am I correct?” Haru asked, a knowing glint in her eyes.

Shinki had to fight not to grimace. She had seen her fair share of such incidents in Makai. The Heartrend, which destroyed the kingdom of Wonderland, was one such example. Shinki could understand being unhappy with the monarchs, but the fight between the loyalist and rebel forces had been so fierce that the land would have been rendered inhabitable even if it had just been that. But then there was the explosion… Shinki had never found a definitive answer for what caused it, but she suspected it was the final duel between the Hearts Monarchs and the Red Duchess. It was clear that both lost that fight. Shinki had been forced to assert herself, and prev

Kaguyas all over the shop

Manato befriends Kaguya, huh? I guess that's the power of storytelling for you. He'd best hope he doesn't get jumped by a jealous suitor at some point. Or stray too close when she's fighting Mokou.

>>213595

Considering Kaguya frequently sneaks out to the village, it is obvious when word get out that he didn't got rejected on the first meeting he going to get a lot of attention just for that. Poor Manato is going to get a lot of gossip about him.

[X] Let them in, and try to convince them personally not to tell those creeps where they were.

Karen is a mum-type. She'll probably keep trying to return Marisa to her 'guardians'. But if she knows they're a pair of gangsters who like to batter people, she'll relent. Zanmu is a bit of a troll, yes, but she's not a snitch as she says. Even if she doesn't help out I'm reasonably confident she won't hurt at least.

Huh, so that's what's going on. So my theories:

1. It's what Anon#213581 and Bulb are saying: Mamizou and her tanuki were exposed by the "Spiral Meteor", causing Marisa to panic and think everyone she's known has been secretly replaced by the Japanese equivalent of skinwalkers.

2. Mamizou really is missing, and there's some sort of third party trying to get to Marisa. Prior to this current reveal, I figured it may have been some sort of rival gang tracking Marisa, maybe mujina? Mujina (badgers), as yokai were known to have the same powers as tanuki, so not too far stretched, I hope?

New thread is up at >>213602!

The winds of Heaven nipped at the Imugi’s skin as he ascended far above the stars. Far beyond any mortal eyes, he peered below at the lands of Gensokyo. Even under the veil of night did it shine a warm light, announcing to the world that life laid upon those grounds. Short as his visit was, he would at least commit the sight he was granted to memory. As time flows, would the vision he was seeing dim under brighter, more colorful recollections? Would everything fade deeper into the confines of his own consciousness? Even the vivid suffering, a cardinal moment in the Imugi’s grand life, would inevitably scar—like a wound he hid underneath his garments.

The Imugi approached Heaven’s domain. Its gatekeeper, the Great Dragon of Water, stood at its lip, idly gazing down at the mortal realm. In a slow, deliberate turn of the head, it focused its gaze straight at the lesser Dragon.

“You are back,” it announced, voice rumbling the clouds. “Have you found what you were looking for?”

“Hong Seongryo is no more. By your grace, I won’t impose any longer.”

“You may remain longer, should you choose to. I shall pay you no mind.” Though a mortal may have taken offense to such inattentive words, to an Imugi, the Dragon granted him benevolence of great magnitude. “But I did not mean ‘Hong Seongryo’ when I had asked.”

“Pardon?”

It did not elaborate further. True to its reputation, the Great Dragon of Water was a Dragon of few words. It resumed its lofty gaze upon Gensokyo, turning its attention away from the Imugi. As for the serpent, who felt more like a yard-dragon, he dipped his head in respect as he passed by his superior.

In that moment, the Imugi felt particularly courageous, deciding to reply once more. “I do not regret coming here.”

Though the Dragon of Gensokyo did not turn to acknowledge the serpent by face, it dignified him with a response. “Then all is well,” it said.

He found himself standing before the mod

I was wondering when this one would continue. I'll have to re-read it yet again to fully remember, but I guess that isn't the worst thing in the world. Been enjoying it thus far, so keep it up.

also, echo-dog when

I'd wager that Seoyu has awakened some part of her kitsune heritage now her mother's spirit has finally passed on.

>>211465
Awoo has at least had three updates in the past year. Poor Kyouko has had one update in the past two years! This injustice must be righted!

The Curse writhes, its barely distinguishable face contorting in baneful agony.

“No,” it says. “The sacrifices that I have made, the evils that I have felled—they were all for you… for us. I have made the darkness my own so that none could harm us. I have never wished to become what I am now… and yet, that was the only path forward. To preserve us.”

“There is no us,” you hiss. “We are not equals, nor will we ever be. Since my conception, you’ve used me as nothing more than a tool. Then, as you scurried away, you had deserted me just as you had deserted my priestess. I had naught but the curses I’ve inherited from you. But in your last waking moments, you had placed the greatest curse on me thus far: To become Hakurō.”

“The mantle you adopted had led us to this point: You, our priestess, and I have all reunited. And I have suffered as you have—am I not also You?”

“No. You are not. And by Amatsu’s will, we are no longer bound to each other.”

You manifest an item in your fist—it should be a familiar sight to Roku, though it is now merely a remnant of what it once was. You reveal a crushed talisman as you open your palm. Within its charm is now sediment, thanks to the assistance of the Hakurei Miko. To think that such a delicate piece would house the bond between three murderous deities and the ties between them. But all it takes to sever those ties are the hands of one mortal shrine maiden.

Even between the darkness that scarred Roku’s face, his expression displays an emotion that you are well acquainted with: fear.

“You understand now. Without Amatsu, you are nothing. You are merely a forgotten god. No, rather, you are but a crude beast. And I, Hakurou, am the embodiment of worldly hatred and vengeance. Because that was what you have made me. And for what purpose? To selfishly imprison the soul of my priestess and corrupt those consumed in the Maw, turning the innocent into the cursed? Amatsu may have once been the harbinger of chaos, but I know no truer evil than you. Yet, in your thirst to eternally

And then what happened, Author...?

Quick doodle I did at the office. Sketched it in paper and then I tried getting it into a post-it but the former is rough and the latter turned out wonky. Anyways, I liked the rough one so I'll be posting both. This is the first time I did a sketch before the post-it and it turned horrible lol.

I hate this pen, I miss my old one :'(

>>213059

maybe it's not the best art as you said but I still like it, especially because it's mom Ran with Kosuzu just being happy

Next thread is up! Let's see what's for sale now, shall we?

>>213061